Pa, Me, and Our Sidewalk Pantry

Toni Buzzeo is the author of the Caldecott Honor Book and New York Times bestseller One Cool Friend and many other books for children. She lives in Arlington, Massachusetts. Zara González Hoang is the illustrator of several picture books. She grew up in a little bungalow in the frozen tundra of Minnesota. Surrounded by snow, she spent her days dreaming, doodling, and listening to the colorful stories of her dad’s life growing up in Puerto Rico while navigating her place as a Puerto Rican Jew in a sea of Scandinavians. (She’s still figuring that out.) These days, she lives outside of Washington, D.C., with her husband, their kids, and a curly coated corgi named Ziggy. Learn more about her at zaralikestodraw.com.

Buzzeo has written a timely book on the underrated power of libraries and mutual aid. Hoang’s delicate use of colored pencil and watercolor gives the tale an endearing and pleasant touch. A charming, intergenerational story of compassion, creativity, and community.